Reciprocal pressure extractor for removing washing solution from clothes



April 22 1924. 1,490,929

R. H. KIRBY REQIFROCAL PRESSURE EXTRAC'IOR FOR REMOVING WASHING SO LUTION FROM CLOTHES Fil Jam 16 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet l April 22 1924. 1,490,929

R. H. KIRBY RECIPROCAL PRESSURE EXTRACTOR FOR REMOVING WASHING SOLUTION FROM CLOTHES Filed 16 1922 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2x :3 r3 -0, {5' 7 7 2003 Q 7 l 29 I 17? k 2 27 Q y [5 7 1 Y2 0 16 0'060'5 0 0"O 0 5 OCTGG 0"60'0'00'00 g April 22 1924. I 1,490,929

. v R.I%.I HQBY' RECIPROCAL PRESSURE EXTRACTOR' 'FOR REMOVING WASHING SOLUTION FROM CLOTHES Filed Jan. 16 f 1922 s Sheets-Shet 5 l atcnted Apr. 23?, 1924.

ROBERT H. KIRBY, OF $1. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Application filed January 16, 1922. Serial No. 529,437.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronnn'r H. Kinsmacitizen of the United States. and a resident of the City of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reciprocal Pressure Extractors for Removing "Washing Solution from Clothes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a machine for pressing or squeezing the retained washing fluid from washed clothes.

In the past, the washed clothes were usually passed through a wringer for removing the retained washing fluid. This operation would frequently tear off the buttons and tear, damage or stretch delicate or silk garments. Moreover, much time is required in passing the washed clothes through the wringer, and much inconvenience encountered in separately handling every garment for feeding it to the wringer rolls. Besides a great deal of energy is required to operate the old hand wringer, and costly power is required to operate the power driven wringers. In addition, washing machines equipped with either a hand operated wringer or a power driven wringer are very costly and the rolls wear out and besides there is always an element of danger in the operation of the wringer. Moreover, washing machines equipped with wringers as now in use are cumbersome and occupy much space.

This invention is designed to overcome the above noted objections which arise from the use of the common form of wringer.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device in which a plurality of garments or household linen or the like may be simultaneously pressed or squeezed to re move the retained washing fluid.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a clothes squeezing apparatus that is adapted to stand on a Hat horizontal base, or that may be supported in different types of wash tubs, boilers or receptacles, as may be most convenient in operation.

It is a further object of thisinvention to provide a simple, economical and easily operated apparatus that will amplify the energy applied at its operative means so that it can be easily operated by any woman.

With these and other objects in view, which will become more apparent in the following description and disclosures in the drawings, this invention comprises the novel mechanism and combinations hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different views: g

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the clothes. squeezing apparatus.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the clothes squeezing apparatus.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section upon an enlarged scale of the clothes containing receptacle.

Figure 4 is a vertical section upon an enlarged scale through the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section through the top part of the housing showing the op erating mechanism inplan view upon an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the operating mechanism in position to be released from the pressing plunger.

Figure 7 is a transverse horizontal section on the line 7-.7 of Fig. 4.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 88 of Figure 7 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 9 is an elevational view of a receptacle in which the clothes squeezing apparatus shown upon a reduced scale is mounted.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention which comprises broadly a perforated clothes container of any shape or design that may be variously supported and a reciproeating pressing or squeezing plunger therein operable 'by suitable mechanism for advancing the same downwardly into the con tainer for squeezing or forcing the washing fluid through the perforated walls of the container.

In the present instance, the clothes container comprises a hollow cylindrical member 1 having an inwardly and upwardly its turned flange 2 at its lower end providing a supporting groove for receiving the downwardly directed flange 8 of the perforated bottom 4. A ring member 5 is nested in said groove and firmly binds the flange 3 against the interior wall of the container. This provides avery strong construction to resist the tensile strains due to the force of the plunger operating against the clothes on the bottom of the container.

While clothes container 1 may be directly supported'upon its bottom or in any suitable way, it is preferably provided with ex pansible supporting means or members whereby the same may be supported on a horizontal surface such as the bottom of a sink or bath tub, or upon the upper rim of a vessel such as a wash tub so that the washed clothes may be taken from the wash tub and put directly into the container.

without wetting or soiling the floor. For this purpose, a sectional hoop member 6 is secured to the upper margin of the container. This hoop member comprises aplurality of sections 6 three in the present instance. each having terminal radial flanges which may be welded or secured. together in any appropriate manner, providing thereby three sets of supports 7 to which the expansible supporting members or legs 8 are pivoted as at 8 These supporting members arepreferably of U shape in cross section so as to partially encompass the supports 7, and their upper inner corners may be beveled to facilitate outward pivotal movement thereof. At suitable points intermediate the ends of the supporting members or legs 85 lugs or shoulders 9 have been formed which are designed to rest upon the rim of a rcceptacleor wash tub when the supporting members are expanded as shown in Fig. 9. These supporting members may be sufficiently expanded so'that the container may rest upon its bottom if desired. or they may be removed;

lVhen the clothes squeezer is supported upon the ends of its supporting members or legs as shown in Fig. 2, it is necessary to use a binder at somev point below the pivot 8 to hold the legs against the container. A simple way of accomplishing this consists in applying a hoop member 10 over the legs 8, as shown. in Fig. 2, spurs 11 being struck from the legs for supporting the said hoop member 10 which is hence freely removable in order to allow the legs or supporting members to be expanded.

Bridging the top of the container is a housmg comprising a two part base member 12 adapted to rest upon the upper edge of the container and a. two part narrow centrally located transmission housing 13 risingfrom the base member. The two sections of the housing may be bolted or secured together in any suitable manner. In order to removably anchor the housing in position, there are slidably mounted in diametrically opposite sides thereof yoke members 14 having handle knobs 15 and provided with recesses 16 adapted to receive locking projections 17 on post members '18 when the yoke members are positioned so as to straddle the posts. The yolre members 14: are yieldingly held in interlocking engagement with the posts 18 by means oi? the springs 19 secured to the inner endsot the yoke members, and the wall of the transmission housing. it is thererore possible to remove the housing by simply pulling out wa-rdly on the handle knobs The transmission. housing 13 and base 12 thereof are provided with alined apertures at the centers thereof for receiving a double faced rack bar 20 which extends into the container 1 and is provided at its lower end with a concave presser plate 21 having upwardly extending marginal flange 22.

This rack bar is adapted to be advanced into 7 the container by means or" alternately act ing pawls 23, 23 pivoted upon the oscillatable lever 2% which in turn is pivoted upon the projecting bearing lugs 25 on. the inner sides of the transmission housing 13. The lever 2% is made in two parts which are secured together by pins or bolts 26. The two parts of the lever 24- are so designed as to provide a space centrally thereof through which the rack bar 20 car eely pass during the oscillations of th lever 7) and the pawls 23 are mounted upon opposite sides of the rack bar and alternately engage opposite faces thereof. The pawls are preferably held in engagement with opposite faces of the rack by means of a spring which connects the two pawls at suitable points below the pivots thereof, as shown in Figures 5 and One end of the lever 24: is provided with an arcuate raclr 28 which meshes with an arcuate pinion rack 29 provided on an operating shaft 30 having a bearing recess at its inner end for receiving bearing lug 31 projecting from the inner wall of the casing 13. The shaft 30 extends through the opposite wall of the housing 18 which is provided with a suitable bearing aperture therefor and is provided. with a polygonal shank upon its outer end for receiving an operating crank handle 32.

It will be obvious that oscillations of the handle 32 will oscillate the pinion rack 29 which in turn will oscillate the lever 24. alternately. raising and lowering the two pawls which engage the opposite faces of the rack bar 20 and continuously and forcibly advance the rack bar into the container.

As at least one of the pawls 23 is constantly in engagement with the rack bar 20. it is impossible to elevate the rack bar with respect to the housing until the pawls are thrown out of engagement therewith. Accordingly, mechanism has been provided whereby the pawls 23 may be simultaneously thrown out oi engagement and free from the rack bar 20. This mechanism consists of cams 33-3 (Fig. 6) projecting from the inner walls of the housing 13 at locations preferably below and above the normal operative oscillations of the lever 24, so that when the lever 24 is suliiciently tilted in the proper direction, as shown in Fig. 6, the pawls will engage the respective cam surfaces and ride out of engagement with the rack bar leaving the same free to be readily removed.

While the operation of the device is sufficiently obvious from the foregoing description, it might be added that in use the container may be placed in a sink or bath tub or the like to receive and drain the water pressed from the clothes during the operation of squeezing the same, or the binding hoop member 10 may be ren'ioved and the supporting members 8 expanded so that the shoulders 9 may rest upon the rim of a receptacle or wash tub as shown in Fig. 9, or the container may be supported in any suitable way. In the latter case the washed clothes may be taken from the wash tub and put directly into the container 1, assuming that the housing has been re moved. After a suflicient quantity of clothes has been placed in the container, thehousing may be replaced with the rack bar and presser plate properly positioned therein; the yoke members 14 interlockingly engaging the posts 18 to prevent the upward movement of the cover. The rack bar then may be pushed downwardly by pressing upon the upper end thereof. the pawls snapping over the teeth for this purpose, until the plunger presses against the clothes. The hand crank 32 may then be oscillated to forcibly advance the rack bar 20 and the presser plate 21 against the clothes in the container to squeeze or press the washing fluid therefrom.

It is characteristic of this invention that the clothes are not subjected to the wear and tear of the wringer rolls now commonly used, and that any fine or delicate garments can be operated upon without danger of their being torn or damaged or stretched, and that the work can be more quickly done. It is further characteristic of this apparatus that it can be readily supported as convenience requires in either a sink or on the rim of a receptacle to receive the water and suds which are pressed through the perforated walls and flow therefrom during the operation of the apparatus.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purposelimiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a clothes container, a plurality of supporting members pivoted to said container, and a binder surrounding said members below the pivotal points thereof for holding the same against said container.

2. In a device of the class described, a clothes container, a plurality of expansible supporting members attached thereto, and means for holding said members in contracted position.

3. In a device of the class described, a clothes container, and a plurality of expansible supporting members therefor adapted forsupporting said container on the rim of a vessel.

4. In a device of the class described, a clothes container, a plurality of supporting members pivoted thereto, and a binder surrounding said members, said binder being removable for spreading said supporting members.

5. In a device of the class described, a clothes container, a plurality of expansible supporting members attached thereto, said members having shoulders intermediate their ends for sup-porting said container upon the rim of a vessel when said members are expanded.

6. In a device of the class described, a clothes container, a plurality of supporting members having shoulders intermediate their ends, and means for expan'sively attaching the same to said container.

7. In a device of the class described, a clothes container, a plurality of members having intermediate supporting means, and means for expansively attaching said members to said container for supporting said container on the ends of said members or on said supporting means. i

8. In a. device of the class described, a clothes container, supporting members pivoted thereto at their upper ends, said members having supporting lugs intermediate their ends adapted for resting upon the rim of a vessel.

9. In a device of the class described, a clothes container having a plurality of post members projecting from the'upper end, a. housing therefor, yoke shaped members yieldingly attached to said housing and adapted to receive said post in interlocking engagement therewith for securing said housing on said container.

10. In a device of the class described, a clothes container, a plurality of members projecting therefrom. a housing, yielding detents secured to said housing for engaging said members for removably securing said housing to said container.

11. In a device of the class described, a.

& Leemeee clothes container having an inverted flange subscribed my name in the presence of two at its lower end, a perforated bottom havsubscribing Witnesses. ing a downwardly extending marginal flange fitting interio rly of said inverted ROBERT H. KIRBY. 5 flange; and means for anchoring said bot- Witnesses:

tom in position. CARLTON HILL,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto JAMES M. OBRIEN. 

